The Province will raise the minimum wage to $15. 50 per hour starting in October.
The minimum wage was raised to $15 an hour in January and the government says this 8 percent increase over one year will help workers keep up with rising costs and inflation.
“For many Ontarians, wages haven’t kept up with the increasing cost of living, making it harder than ever to make ends meet,” says Premier Doug Ford. “Ontario’s workers are the best anywhere, and they will be at the forefront of building the province. They deserve to have more money in their pockets and the increase we’re announcing today is one more way we are delivering for our workers.”
In January, Ontario also removed the lower minimum wage for liquor servers. The government’s Working for Workers Act 2, if passed, would build on these actions by expanding this minimum wage to digital platform workers for active hours worked – something no other province in Canada has done.
“Our government is leading the country with unprecedented changes that rebalance the scales and help workers earn bigger paycheques,” says Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “Raising the minimum wage is part of our workers-first plan to give hundreds of thousands of families a hand up as we build a stronger economy that works for everyone.”
The fall increase, which takes effect October 1st, is tied to the Consumer Price Index. It means workers earning the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see their annual pay rise by $1,768. Liquor servers who work 40 hours per week would see an annual raise of $5,512.
Today’s commitment follows legislation Minister McNaughton recently introduced that would include if passed, foundational rights for digital platform workers, requirements for employers to disclose their electronic monitoring of employees and for businesses in high-risk settings to have Naloxone kits on hand, and several red tape reductions to encourage out-of-province workers to help fill the generational labour shortage.
With rising costs, more and more workers and their families need a hand up.⁰⁰As of October 1st, Ontario will have a new $15.50/hour minimum wage.⁰⁰This means bigger paycheques and a stronger economy that works for everyone.
Read more: https://t.co/PnFwLgOq4j pic.twitter.com/v6FiroAe2g
— Monte McNaughton (@MonteMcNaughton) April 5, 2022